Easy 'Que, the Kailua barbecue joint known for slow-smoked brisket and shoyu pork belly, is closing its doors in November 2026. The restaurant plans to keep its regular hours all the way through its final day of service.
A report by The Business Journals said Easy 'Que will shut down next month after operating at 767 Kailua Road, Suite 106, since it opened in 2019. In that time, the restaurant built a following for its central Texas-style barbecue filtered through a local lens, serving up brisket, ribs, fried chicken, huli huli chicken and shoyu pork belly alongside other comfort food, according to Hawaii News Now.
From Alan Wong's Kitchen to a Barbecue Pilgrimage in Austin
Easy 'Que was the brainchild of Nik and Jennifer Lobendahn, the same duo behind Kailua brunch spot Over Easy. The couple met years ago while working at Alan Wong's Restaurant on King Street, a connection that eventually led them to build out their own concept, the station's report notes.
Before opening Easy 'Que, the Lobendahns took their chef team on a barbecue research trip to Austin, Texas, soaking up techniques from one of the country's most storied barbecue scenes. They brought that knowledge home and built what the restaurant's own menu calls “ALOHA BBQ — a modern and locally influenced take on traditional American BBQ,” per the Easy 'Que online menu. The signature brisket, the menu notes, is seasoned simply with salt and pepper and smoked for eight to nine hours over kiawe wood — a distinctly Hawaii twist on a Texas tradition.
A Tough Few Years for Kailua's Independent Restaurants
Easy 'Que's closure adds to a string of small-business exits in Kailua in recent years. Danny Casler pointed to the closing of a Kailua taco restaurant as evidence of a broader trend of small, independent businesses shutting down in the beachside community, according to Honolulu Civil Beat. Taqueria El Gallo Rosa's founder and chef described a combination of pressures behind that closure, telling the outlet, “For us, it was a lot of factors: the rent, the economy, obviously a lot of factors.”
Lanikai Brewing Co. owner Steve Haumschild told Civil Beat that rising labor, shipping and goods costs have squeezed even the strongest local businesses, saying the best performers now might generate only a 3% to 4% profit. Alexander & Baldwin spokesperson Andrea Galvin added that closures across the area often stem from labor shortages, rising staffing expenses, higher operating and supply costs, and shifts in customer preferences and visitor traffic.
That pressure extended statewide last year, when rising food costs, labor shortages and lease challenges forced dozens of Hawaii restaurants to close their doors in 2025, per The Business Journals. The same report noted that some owners chose to relocate or launch new concepts rather than exit the restaurant industry entirely.
No specific reason has been given for Easy 'Que's closure. For now, Kailua diners have 10 more days to order one last plate of brisket or shoyu pork belly before the smoker goes cold for good.
